Australia’s Foxtel and Dendy announce one week theatrical window

Australian pay television company Foxtel and cinema chain Dendy have announced what is being described as a new distribution model for local and international films.

The model will see selected “niche” feature and documentary films released theatrically for one week at Dendy Cinemas and partnering exhibitors.

They will go on to Foxtel Store and Dendy’s VOD service Dendy Direct straight after..

The tie-up is intended to give exposure to films that would not usually play in cinemas and “create a more sustainable distribution strategy”. The model is seen as an alternative to the standard 90-day average window between theatrical and home release.

The first film released under this model will be Kriv Stenders’ Australia Day, a Hoodlum production for Foxtel that will be launched in cinemas by Icon Distribution on September 21.

Australia Day, which takes place over a 12-hour period on the national holiday and follows the stories of three Australians from diverse backgrounds, stars Bryan Brown (Australia), Matthew Le Nevez (The Kettering Incident and Offspring) and Shari Sebbens (The Sapphires).

“Dendy is the only vertically integrated business in Australia offering both exhibition and on demand. It is therefore uniquely positioned to entertain a wider audience by combining the big screen experience of Dendy Cinemas and the national reach of our online movie platform Dendy Direct,” said Greg Hughes, CEO of Dendy/Icon.

“This business model which we are branding Dendy Marquee will offer consumers more choice, accessibility, and immediacy in the consumption of quality specialty content.”

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